Ch.67Short Break (1)

# The Road to Xingqing

We were able to resupply at a village located on our route.

The villagers voluntarily offered us water and food.

Of course, this was entirely because we were an army.

Additionally, since we were holding Zhao Yunchang’s soldiers as prisoners, the villagers had no choice but to fear us.

“Do not harm the villagers any more than necessary. They have provided us with water and food.”

There was no need to harm unarmed villagers.

Therefore, I ordered my soldiers to absolutely refrain from attacking the villagers.

Following my orders, the Mongol soldiers built their camp on the outskirts of the village and minimized contact with the villagers.

“It will take a long time to reach Xingqing.”

The khans in the ger nodded at my words.

Among them, Jadaran Elunka, who served as my advisor, stood up and addressed me.

“Rather than launching a surprise attack on Xingqing as we are, would it not be better to incorporate the surrendered Western Xia prisoners?”

“Incorporate them, you say? We refused their surrender and killed half of them. Is that even possible?”

When Zhao Yunchang raised the white flag and surrendered, we didn’t accept it.

Again, with 40,000 soldiers, taking 80,000 enemy troops as prisoners would have put us at great risk of being overwhelmed.

So we had no choice but to kill half of their forces,

which left the prisoners harboring resentment toward us.

“It will be difficult, but if we don’t supplement our forces locally, the battle at Xingqing could become challenging.”

Bulqa Khan, who had been listening quietly, rose at Elunka’s words.

He looked at Elunka and spoke.

“We’ve already achieved a great victory, Jadaran Khan. How could we possibly struggle at Xingqing?”

“The ulus won victory because we had the geographical advantage of the plains. But Xingqing is the capital of Western Xia, with walls and defenses incomparably greater than Khara-Khoto.”

I couldn’t help but nod at Elunka’s logical explanation.

Our victory over Zhao Yunchang’s 100,000-strong army with just 40,000 men was entirely due to the geographical advantage of the plains.

If the terrain had been a ravine or mountains, we might have been defeated.

Therefore, there was no guarantee we would achieve the same victory against Xingqing with its high walls and defensive installations.

“That’s why we must persuade the Western Xia prisoners. Whether we win them over as allies or use them as arrow fodder, we need infantry to capture Xingqing.”

The khans in the ger began to agree with Elunka’s explanation.

Cavalry might seem invincible, but this was only true on the plains.

Even when we captured Khara-Khoto, if Li Deyun hadn’t been a corrupt individual, it would have taken us much longer to fully capture the city.

This was because cavalry couldn’t scale walls.

Having experienced this firsthand, the khans of the ulus had consciously or unconsciously realized the necessity of maintaining infantry like settled peoples.

“I understand Jadaran Khan’s point. But as the leader said, we are their mortal enemies. How can we possibly persuade them?”

“Persuasion will be difficult, but we must at least try.”

We needed to rest here once more anyway.

So I thought it would be better to follow Elunka’s suggestion.

“Very well. But we cannot delay here for long.”

Elunka bowed in gratitude at my words.

“Thank you for accepting my proposal. To facilitate this, I have a request for you, leader.”

“What do you need?”

Elunka made a strange expression and looked at Munglig.

Receiving this gaze, Munglig could only tilt his head and look back at Elunka in confusion.

“I need Lord Munglig.”

* * *

“Those vile Mongols… even though we surrendered…”

“I know. Their promise to spare those who surrendered was a lie.”

The Western Xia soldiers tied up in the corner glared at the Mongol soldiers while saying such things.

Despite the prisoners’ resentful gazes, the Mongol soldiers didn’t even flinch.

Unlike these prisoners expressing their anger, others in the corner were hoping the Mongol soldiers’ wrath wouldn’t reach them.

“What will happen to us?”

“Probably… we’ll be used as arrow fodder.”

“Terrible… I don’t want to die like this…”

Some prisoners still clung to life.

They were inwardly hoping to survive somehow.

As they conversed, a muscular man appeared before the prisoners.

The prisoners couldn’t help but shrink back at the sight of his body, so packed with muscle it seemed a sword couldn’t penetrate it.

Beside this muscular man stood a merchant who appeared to be a Tangut like them.

The merchant began interpreting the muscular man’s words.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Munglig, serving the great Khan of the steppe.”

“Cursed one!”

“Are you going to kill us!”

“P-please spare me. I-I don’t want to die yet.”

“…”

Some expressed anger toward him, some begged for their lives, and others remained silent.

The prisoners showed conflicting reactions to Munglig’s words.

Some even hurled insults.

Fortunately, Munglig didn’t understand the Western Xia language, so he couldn’t comprehend their insults.

However, Munglig could sense the uneasy atmosphere.

He thought he should show something to focus the prisoners’ attention.

A small piece of metal appeared in Munglig’s hand.

The Western Xia prisoners could only tilt their heads in confusion at the metal piece about the size of a child’s palm.

At that moment.

Screech!

The metal piece made a strange noise as it folded exactly in half.

And he did it with just one hand.

The prisoners who witnessed this couldn’t help but close their mouths in shock.

“I don’t know what you’re saying, but I’ll get straight to the point. We are heading to Xingqing. There, we will subjugate the Western Xia Emperor who defied us and plunder Xingqing.”

“…”

“…”

“We are warriors who know no mercy. We will take all your families’ possessions, kill those who raise swords against us, and burn everything to the ground.”

The prisoners couldn’t help but tremble at the chilling warning from Munglig’s mouth.

This was especially true since they had witnessed half of the surrendered soldiers being killed.

“It is the principle of the steppe to show no mercy to those who oppose the ulus. However, the merciful Khan of the ulus has taken pity on you and opened a path for you to live.”

“…A w-way to live?”

“Could they really spare us…?”

“You devils! Even if you spare us, I will curse you forever!”

“Tsk.”

Munglig frowned at the prisoners’ murmuring.

Then he folded the already-folded metal piece in half again.

This time using only his index finger and thumb.

“…”

“…”

“Finally quiet. As my brother said, persuasion through muscle is indeed better than violence.”

Munglig looked at the prisoners with a satisfied smile.

After clearing his throat, he continued.

“Serve in the ulus forces. Then you will be accepted as people of the ulus and given food and drink.”

The prisoners began to stir.

This was because they hadn’t had proper meals since being brought here.

Because of this, they couldn’t help but be tempted by the mention of food and drink.

“Additionally, if you become soldiers of the ulus, we will protect your families and property in Xingqing. Even if they suffer damage from the war, the merciful Khan will provide compensation.”

The prisoners’ eyes widened at the extraordinary conditions coming from Munglig’s mouth.

He had promised to protect not only their lives but also their families and property in Xingqing.

Of course, under normal circumstances, this would have been a proposal they wouldn’t even consider.

But the soldiers who had witnessed the power of the Mongol cavalry firsthand had developed an unconscious fear of them.

As a result, they couldn’t even think of opposing them.

Of course, this was only the thinking of some of the prisoners.

Some soldiers had no connections in Xingqing or had lost their families in the massacre, so such proposals had no effect on them.

“Just kill me instead!”

“I have no intention of fighting for you!”

“Translate what they’re saying.”

At those words, the merchant immediately translated.

Understanding what the prisoners were saying, Munglig nodded with a smile.

“Good. You will receive special training.”

“…T-training?”

“What does he mean?”

As the prisoners rolled their eyes trying to understand the situation, Elunka approached Munglig’s side.

He looked at the defiant prisoners with a satisfied smile.

“So many talented individuals suitable as arrow fodder. I’m pleased, Lord Munglig.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just send them out as they are?”

“Then they would die immediately. If we’re going to use them as arrow fodder, wouldn’t it be better to have excellent arrow fodder?”

At Elunka’s words, Munglig shook his head as if disgusted.

“As always, those who do lower body exercises all have twisted tastes…”

“What did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“I thought I just heard you insulting lower body exercises…”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. You must be mistaken.”

“I hope it was a mistake.”

A subtle battle of nerves.

After this exchange ended, Elunka shrugged and called the tamma to bring the prisoners.

“Put bits in their mouths.”

“Understood.”

The prisoners’ expressions suggested they thought they were being taken to die as arrow fodder.

But contrary to their expectations, Elunka only had bits put in their mouths without imposing any other restrictions.

In fact, their hands and feet were completely free, leaving them wondering what was happening.

“Now, let’s start by doing ten laps around this place in a horse-riding stance.”

At Elunka’s words, one tamma extended one foot forward.

Then he slightly bent his back leg, assuming a stance as if riding a horse.

As the tamma moved forward in that stance, other tamma followed.

“…?”

“…mmph…mmph?”

The prisoners could only roll their eyes trying to understand the situation.

Seeing them, Elunka smiled and looked at the prisoners.

“Now, follow along.”

With swords pointed at them, ordering them to assume this strange posture, the prisoners had no choice but to comply.

And so the resistant prisoners were subjected to bizarre training.

Those who had shown hostility toward the Mongol soldiers, revealing killing intent, began begging to be killed instead after completing exactly two laps around the village.